Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1887-10-19
GLADSTONE'S SPEECH.
AGREAT oRAToRIAL EXPORT By YTHEGRASD
OLDHAM.
Speeches E; StockhCPs and NUtdnghan-Irslaod's
Woes Depicted n KsishlsS Wards-Tbs
0nly Rsnsdy il Hons Rlls-
The Lbsl Proposals.

LONDON, October 15-&r Gladstone
spoke at Stockport to-day. He said that
coercion was directed not against crime
but sgaiDst the people of Ireland, CON-
bining to preserve their interests. If such
combination showed q tendency toward
crime the Liberals would not give it the
smallest countenanee.
In his speech al Nottingham afterwards
Mr.. Gladstone said: He would tell them
plainly that he was not there TO say
smooth thing. 1t was a deplorable fact
that the set ttling Of the great Irish ques-
tion which might have been settled last
year, had there been disposition to dis
cuss il, in spirit of candOr and fairness,
had been again set aside and was still
pending its difficulties, aggravated and
Its prospects uncertain. He had always
told the Conservatives that the choice lay
between coercion and Home Rule. The
Conservatives had told them that Home
Rule was an idle dream, but
events had show il was not 4
coercion bill had been passed against
combinations against the liberty OF the
press and the night of public meeting and
Dot against crime. The Irish spectacle
was now grave and serious one, and if it
continued II wOuld drve Ireland into such
state that the difficulties OF the govern.
nent would become almost insurmounts-
ble. He denied that he proposed Home
Rule simply 10 advance liberal Interests.
II was doubtful, he said, whether the
Tories accepted Home Rule, in its broad
principles, In the same way that they ae
cepted his proposals in 1872 and in 1888.
He wanted a statutory Parliament in Dub
lin. subject 10 the imperial control; there
was nothing TO prevent any reasonable
man from agreeing with the Lib
erals Irish proposals, without reference
TO this or that particular or detail The
immediate necessity Of the day Was 10
watch the way il which Ireland Was nov
governed. II the government persisted in
their rash and foolish policy II would nat
uraily lead 10 political Decentralization and
render it in the highest degree difficult
even for Englishmen and q parliament,
truly representing their best and most en-
lightcned conclusions 10 deal rapidly and
henefcially with ireland. Only one word
could describe the present system OF Irish
government. !; was 'lmpcrtinence. The
events Of the last feS weeks in Ireland
would not have been tolerated in England.
"He condemned the action OF the aGthori
ties at Mltchellstown. He admitted hav-
ing used tine words. Remember Mitch
ellst0wu." That affair must and would
I've remembered. The country had an &C
count to settle with the government IN
connection with that affair. The Mitch
ellstown authorities were undoubtedly
wrong, yet Mr.. Balfour, IN behalf OF the
government, nDequivocslly assumed the
responsibility ior their acts. The worst
feature Of the Mltchells.Own incident was
that the action OF the authorities there
had become model and pattern for the
whole Of Ireland. The whole system Of
government in Ireland required 10 be
thoroughly reformed root and branch.
There had been breakdown in the gov
erDment IA all essenTIaIs. A radical
change was wanted, and such 4 change AN
enfraDchised nation alone could accom-
plish" Cheers.